Meet scholarship recipient Rachel Rine

Forensics, Dance Marathon helped make BGSU the place she belongs

By Bridget Tharp

Meet scholarship recipient Rachel Rine
Hometown : Bowling Green, Ohio
Major : Visual Communication Technology
Scholarships : BGSU Centennial Scholarship, Sidney Frohman Scholarship, Blanche and Charles Naugle Memorial Scholarship, Ardanall B. Mason Memorial Scholarship, Forensics Speech and Debate Scholarship

For Rachel Rine, BGSU just felt right. Her instincts were confirmed by a hefty scholarship package made possible through the generosity of BGSU donors and the Office of Admissions. When she graduates in December 2013, she'll do so without a single student loan.

She's grateful for the BGSU Centennial scholarship and her several other donor-provided scholarships. "I was not in a financial position to be able to pay for everything out of pocket," Rine said. "I was fortunate. It all added up."

Growing up in Bowling Green, it seemed natural for Rine to explore her parents' alma mater as an option for college. She skipped two grades in elementary school.  When her outstanding grades allowed her to spend most of her final two years of high school at BGSU through the post-secondary option program, she said she found "the first place I've felt like I belonged."

"BGSU has helped me flourish by giving me opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone. There are so many people of different backgrounds and with different interests here, anyone could find their niche."

Why BGSU ? "I chose BGSU because of the scholarships, and I liked the VCT program. I had opportunities to interact with other people in program and get a feel for it. But growing up here, I have been a part of campus for a good part of my life."

How do you spend your time out of class? "Being a varsity member of the Forensics Speech and Debate Team keeps me very busy, with travel to at least eight competitions most semesters. Traveling with the team has taken me to Montreal, New York City, Boston, across the state and to all of our neighboring states. We were ranked eighth nationally last year, and I am the treasurer for Pi Kappa Delta, an honorary forensics fraternity. I've also served on the core committee for Dance Marathon, and work two jobs on campus as a Web developer and supervisor."

Advice for prospective or first-year BGSU students? "I think the biggest thing I would tell prospective students is that the atmosphere on campus is very comforting. The campus and surrounding community are very homey. Very welcoming. Very friendly. And I think that for incoming students, that's a big deal: to feel like they are part of this community. And Bowling Green definitely fulfills that."

"… And, the most important thing for freshmen to remember is communication. When you have a question, are struggling with an assignment or just want to improve your grade, talking to your professor is never the wrong thing to do. The more your professor notices the effort you put into the class, the more help they will be willing to give."